Description: Following the Battle of Dead Buffalo Lake, Brig. Gen. Henry
Hastings Sibley continued his march after the retreating Sioux until he
reached Stony Lake, where his animals’ exhaustion compelled him to encamp.
On the 28th, the force had started out in pursuit again when Sibley discovered
that a large number of Sioux was moving upon him. He ordered the men to
make defensive preparations, which many had already accomplished. In the
face of enemy, Sibley now resumed his march. The Sioux searched for weak
points in the soldiers position. Finding none, the Sioux rode off at great
speed, preventing pursuit. The Sioux had hoped to halt Sibley’s advance
but were unable to do so. Sibley remarked in his report that Stony Lake
was “the greatest conflict between our troops and the Indians, so far as
the numbers were concerned.”